what a nice occasion having Silvia and her husband Massimo playing the Celtic harp and the electronic piano to celebrate Christmas, the end of the year and the beginning of a new one!

I leave it to her writing about

the instrument she plays,

why she chose it

and what is the role played by music and this specific instrument in her life.

If she likes sharing with us on this site these "angles" of her life.

We truly appreciate that people find their own way to make their potential surface, making their identity a multiple issue, facets of the same diamond, so many unexpected, a surprise so generously offered.

Thank you Silvia and Massimo

see you in class!

Anna - Coordinator

Own photos taken and puplished with the permission of the Artist.

Comments

What a curious story! great instrument, with a long story among its cords. It gives to us so many emotions with its simplicity. I'm really happy to have heard that evening. Thank you. and I'm sorry for the little trouble during my shooting.

I thank Anna for giving me the opportunity to play the harp and to tell you something about this fascinating instrument.The harp has ancient origins starting from the great Egyptian and Assyrian empires,undergoing changes over the centuries, from the essential lines of ancient harps, to the compact medieval instruments, to the complexity of the classical harp. The little harp of the Irish bards,has been the protagonist of an entire cultural world becoming its symbol,with a repertoire of thousands of musical pieces. Throughout its millenary history, the harp has been the sacred instrument for excellence, an instrument for singing and praying,symbol of culture and poetry,of courage,of sacrifice even of life.(From 117o Ireland became a land of conquest of the English with insurrections and cruelty that also hit the harpists being not only musicians, but also poets and singers can incite the masses to fight for freedom; so they are imprisoned, hanged and their instruments destroyed)

The etymology of the term harp derives from an indoario theme arp- or arv- that indicates the action of taking or pulling; from this root derive the Latin terms harp and carpere that define the harrow and the action of taking, in ancient French the noun that indicates the harrow is the word harp, and the Anglo-Saxon term harvest indicates the vintage. These words show the typical gesture of the fingers playing the harp,I don't know why I chose this instrument, the harp had fascinated me and attracted me a lot since the first time I had seen it near. Years ago I was a member of a polyphonic choir in Pisa and I had the privilege of singing the Polovesian Dances accompanied by an orchestra that had three harps; during the concert when I was free not to watch the attacks of the master, my eyes ran to look at the harps, I keep a beautiful memory.

Music has multiple effects, it cheers us, it reassures us, it can have a curative or adjuvant action in case of disease. Music has a universal language, capable of transmitting emotions nourishing our soul, connecting with the spiritual dimension.Music has an important role in my life, I could say that music is my life and my life is music, and not only mine also that of every person and other living being, we think of the music of the heart ( the heartbeat ) that accompanies us on the journey of life.Good music to everyone.Bye Silvia